The Competition Grinds to a Halt for Married Couple Laura and Jackie, the Third Team Eliminated on CTV's THE AMAZING RACE CANADA

July 23, 2014 --

- Olympic gold medallists Natalie and Meaghan complete the hat-trick by winning their third consecutive leg - - Next week: The competition extends abroad to Macau, China, as teams test their luck in the gambling capital of the world -

TORONTO, July 23, 2014 /CNW/ - In the first ever international leg of THE AMAZING RACE CANADA, a slip-up in the Wan Chai Wet Market, deep in the heart of Hong Kong, led to the elimination of Toronto married couple Laura Takahashi and Jackie Skinner from the competition. With the Demon Chef himself, MASTERCHEF CANADA'sAlvin Leung presiding, the pair mistook ingredients on a precise grocery list and lost precious time in the fast-paced leg.

Laura and Jackie fell behind at the Detour when they mistakenly substituted fresh chilli peppers for Sichuan peppercorns on the list of items required for one of Leung's signature dishes at his world-famous restaurant, Bo Innovation. Despite their elimination, the couple remained positive. "We made three really hard legs of THE AMAZING RACE CANADA," said Jackie, "We cannot be prouder of ourselves than that." "It just really brought us closer and closer together," added Laura.

Episode 3 Recap From the Pit Start in Tofino, B.C., nine teams travelled to Hong Kong, China, in the first ever international destination on THE AMAZING RACE CANADA. Once there, teams made their way to Ngong Ping Village and received a special blessing before climbing 268 steps to the Tian Tan Buddha statue atop Muk Yue Shan. Teams then raced to the Golden Dragon Statue where they chose from the Master Chef or Kung Fu Master Detours. Natalie Spooner and Meaghan Mikkelson opted to use their Express Pass and bypassed the Kung Fu Master Detour. The teammates went straight to the Roadblock at She Wong Lam restaurant, a challenge wherein one team member had to consume a traditional pairing of snake bile and wine, followed by a bowl of snake soup, before heading to the Avenue of the Stars. Once there, teams had to complete a series of poses for a director next to the Bruce Lee statue before heading to the Pit Stop at Kowloon Walled City Park. Natalie and Meaghan completed a hat trick by winning their third consecutive leg along with two round trip tickets from Air Canada to anywhere in China, plus another $2,000 on their Scotiabank Gold American Express Card.

Last night's episode will encore this week on TSN (Thursday, July 24 at 12 a.m. ET/ 9 p.m. PT and Friday, July 25at2 p.m. ET/ 11 a.m. PT), TSN 2 (Thursday, July 24at8 p.m. ET/ 5 p.m. PT), and CTV and CTV GO (Saturday, July 26 at 8 p.m. ET/PT andSunday, July 27at5 p.m. ET/PT - and is also now available on demand at CTV GO. All-new episodes of THE AMAZING RACE CANADAair Tuesdays at 9 p.m. ET/PT on CTV and CTV GO.

Viewers can also catch Laura and Jackie live on CANADA AM (Weekdays at 6 a.m. ET), 104.5 CHUM FM (Weekdays at 5:30 a.m. ET), CP24 BREAKFAST (Weekdays 5:30 a.m. ET,and Saturday and Sunday at7 a.m. ET), THE MARILYN DENIS SHOW (Weekdays at 10 a.m. ET),and THE SOCIAL (Weekdays at 1 p.m. ET) on Wednesday, July 23,as they discuss their elimination from THE AMAZING RACE CANADA.

Next Week:

THE AMAZING RACE CANADA stays in China as teams race to the new gambling capital of the world, Macau, where they get hot - and bothered (Tuesday, July 22 at 9 p.m. ET/PT on CTV and CTV GO). A casino challenge deals a round of confusion, and desperation.

The eight remaining teams competing for the biggest grand prize in Canadian television history are:

Pierre and Michel - Twin Brothers, Montreal

Alain and Audrey - Dating, Montreal

Mickey and Pete - Best Friends, Muskoka, Ont.

Sukhi and Jinder - Siblings, Terrace, B.C.

Natalie and Meaghan - Teammates, Scarborough, Ont. and Calgary

Rex and Bob - Engaged, Ashburn, Ont.

Ryan and Rob - Co-Workers, Vancouver

Cormac and Nicole - Mother and Son, Winnipeg

The four premier sponsors for THE AMAZING RACECANADA are Air Canada, Chevrolet Canada, DQ Canada, and Scotiabank.

About CTV CTV is Canada's #1 private broadcaster. Featuring a wide range of quality news, sports, information, and entertainment programming, CTV has been Canada's most-watched television network for the past 13 years in a row. CTV is a division of Bell Media, Canada's premier multimedia company with leading assets in television, radio, digital, and Out-of-Home. Bell Media is owned by BCE Inc. (TSX, NYSE: BCE), Canada's largest communications company. More information about CTV can be found on the network's website at CTV.ca.